Sharon’s dismissal of Deputy National Infrastructure Minister Naomi Blumenthal – a senior member of his Likud Party – was his strongest move to contain the allegations that have even touched his son.

The corruption scandal, which has riveted the Israeli public and been front-page news, erupted last month after the Likud central committee selected its candidates for the Knesset parliament in the Jan. 28 elections.

Charges quickly spread that Likud insiders, some allegedly tied to organized crime, bribed members of the 2,940 committee members to win nominations for favored candidates.

Sharon declared two weeks ago he would remove any Likud figure who is under a cloud.

The issue came to a head Sunday when Blumenthal, the highest-ranking Likud leader to be investigated, was questioned about her campaign by police, and she invoked her legal right to remain silent.

Sharon was careful not to accuse Blumenthal, 59, of wrongdoing but said in his dismissal letter that her lack of cooperation with investigators had cast suspicion on the party.

“Your avoidance of giving answers taints a great movement that runs and will continue to run Israel’s affairs, and in these circumstances I have no choice but to remove you from your post,” the prime minister wrote Blumenthal yesterday.

Sharon and his party are still heavily favored to win this month.

But the latest polls indicate Likud will win about 35 of the 120 Knesset seats, down from the 40 or more projected before the scandal blew up.

The opposition Labor Party, expected to win 20 to 22 seats, has used the scandal, rather than the ongoing violence with Palestinians, as the main issue in the campaign.

Critics have also charged that Sharon’s son, Omri, who was named by the central committee to the Likud candidate list, is implicated in the scandal – and may have connections to organized crime.

Omri Sharon is particularly close to one of the Likud activists, a convicted felon who is under suspicion in the vote-buying scandal.

Sharon said no one – not even his son – is exempt from the probe.

“I know my son has nothing to do with this but if he is involved, I’ll remove him, too,” the prime minister said.

Blumenthal was reported by an aide to be “shocked” by Sharon’s decision to fire her.

Despite her dismissal, she remains a candidate and is expected to run for the Knesset on the Likud list next month. She won a high-ranking slot in the candidate list last month.

Also yesterday, Israel’s election commission voted to bar a second leading Arab member of the Knesset from running for re-election.

Israel state radio said Attorney General Eliakim Rubinstein had advised the commission to disqualify Azmi Bishara and his Balad Party for what he described as opposition to Israel’s existence and support for Palestinian “terror” groups.

The ruling, like Monday’s decision to bar Arab legislator Ahmed Tibi, is expected to be reviewed by Israel’s supreme court next week.